High School

AMSE Requirements

Beginning in the 2019-20 school year, the AMSE Institute is implementing a three-tiered program: Membership, Honors, and Honors Fellow, plus an option to combine AMSE and Conservatory with the AMSE Artist Honors program. The three-tiered program will replace the current Major/Minor model. This change will allow AMSE to create more distinct pathways for recognizing the top high achieving students in their respective fields, while broadening the scope of student involvement.

Students must complete these requirements upon graduation.

AMSE Institute Distinction Requirements

Membership

Honors

Fellow

AMSE Approved Research Project

—

1

1

AMSE Programs

—

1

2

Years of Science

—

4

4

Years of Math

—

4

4

GPA

—

3.8+

4.0+

Advanced Placement (AP) Courses

—

2

4

AMSE Membership

AMSE Membership is open to all VCHS students. Students may apply at any time up to the second semester of their senior year. Membership is designed to expose students to the many offerings and areas of interest that AMSE has to offer. Students with an AMSE Membership will be eligible to apply for and participate in AMSE programs, and will also receive invitations to AMSE special events and the AMSE newsletter. AMSE Members may apply for AMSE Honors distinction up to the end of the first semester of their junior year and work towards completing the requirements outlined below.

AMSE Honors

AMSE Honors participants are automatically given AMSE membership. Junior students who are meeting the Honors requirements and achieve a cumulative GPA of 3.8 or higher at the end of their junior year will be awarded the status of AMSE Honor student. In addition, junior students who are on track to meet these requirements are eligible to apply for the elite AMSE Honors Fellow Program. Senior students who have met the Honors requirements and achieve a cumulative GPA of 3.8 or higher by the end of the first semester of their senior year will be awarded the status of AMSE Honors Student and honored with a cord of distinction to wear on graduation day.

AMSE Honors Fellow

The AMSE Honors Fellow Program provides an opportunity for outstanding twelfth-grade students to work alongside VCS Program Managers for a unique, year-long learning experience conducting specialty research in a specific field of interest. In the 2020/21 school year, the following programs will offer fellowship opportunities: Agri-Tech, Astronomy Research, Health & Wellness, ISS Research Lab, Math Team, Ocean Discovery, Robotics, Quest Incubator, and the VCS Research and Development department (with emphasis on space and ocean research.)

WHO CAN APPLYEleventh-grade students who are on schedule to complete the AMSE Honors requirements by the end of their twelfth-grade year are eligible to apply for the prestigious AMSE Honors Fellow Program.

All applicants must be VCS students currently enrolled in 11th-grade (Class of 2021).

Applicants must have completed at least one AMSE program by the end of their 11th-grade year.

The Honors Fellow application for the 2020/21 school year will be open through May 31, 2020.

AMSE Artist Honors

The Conservatory and AMSE Institute are excited to announce a new AMSE Artist Honors Distinction for VCHS students. This distinction was created in order to recognize students who have a deep passion for both the STEM and artistic fields and give them the opportunity to participate in both programs without overloading their schedules. View the specific requirements for AMSE Artist Honors.

As an AMSE Artist Honors participant, AMSE and Conservatory membership are automatically included.

Students interested in pursuing AMSE Artist Honors status must complete a separate application, not both AMSE & Conservatory Honors applications.